


Nico di Angelo and the 7 Demigods

by KitkatDragon



Series: Heroes Of Olympus in Disney Movies [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Genre: F/M, HOO meets Disney, Heroes of olympus x disney, M/M, Snow White - Freeform, caleo - Freeform, frazel - Freeform, jasper - Freeform, percabeth, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitkatDragon/pseuds/KitkatDragon
Summary: This is one of five fanfics I plan to publish. To sum it up, the Heroes of Olympus cast starring in popular Disney movies. Each will be based around one major ship with a bunch of other mini-ships. This is a Solangelo in Snow White and the 7 Dwarves fic. The original art was by Disney artists, Viria, and John Rocco. I just edited it for the cover image. Also posted this on fanfiction.net. Rated T just in case.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Ella/Tyson (Percy Jackson), Gleeson Hedge/Mellie, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Heroes Of Olympus in Disney Movies [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836583
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	1. Cast List

Hello, readers! This story is going to be pretty long (by long I mean 15 actual chapters), as are the other stories I plan on writing that are just like this one, and some things will be different from the original way it was done by Disney. Basically, it’s kind of the characters from the HOO series being in different Disney movies, but more Heroes of Olympus style. (Only based on the first movies of each series, not any movie/TV show sequels.)

Let me show you which Heroes of Olympus characters will be in this movie/fanfic. 

For example, the only animals that are in my versions are those who can turn into animals like Frank, or who are mythical creatures like cyclops, harpies, satyrs/fauns, and nymphs. The rest are now human because it’s easier for me to write. Also, every character can now sing decently, if not better, because almost everyone in the classic Disney movies can sing.

Before we go on to who’s gonna be who in this movie…..I’m only doing the disclaimer once in each story. 

**Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or anything Rick Riordan related at all.**

**Cast List for** ~~**Snow White and the Seven Dwarves** ~~ **Nico Di Angelo and the Seven Demigods:**

**Snow White ‘Boy version’ -** Nico 

**Prince Charming -** Will 

**Evil Queen -** Calypso

**The Hunts(wo)man -** Reyna

**Doc -** Annabeth

**Grumpy -** Piper

**Dopey -** Percy

**Sleepy -** Jason

**Bashful -** Frank

**Sneezy -** Hazel

**Happy -** Leo

**Magic Mirror -** Rachel

**Delivery Boy** **(OC)** **-** Grover

**Additional Characters/More OCs -** Chiron, the Stoll brothers, Coach Hedge, Mellie, Chuck, Juniper, Tyson, Ella, Babette, and assorted mythical creatures. 

Each movie will have its own fanfic because otherwise, I’d have to make a million chapters with a million words each or something. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea. I honestly don’t feel like doing that because it’ll take way longer to publish, and I’m sure you guys don’t feel like reading 80 chapters (approximately). Each movie will have a title that’s kind of like the movie but not really. 

While I was trying to come up with the titles, I realized that a lot of Disney movies are either someone’s name (Cinderella, Aladdin, Pocahontas) or an adjective ( Brave, Frozen, Tangled). Weird, huh? That's why each movie/fanfic title is different because I didn’t want to just title my stories with someone's name. 

Now, I will give you a heads up: if you haven’t read Heroes of Olympus, you will be a little lost. And no villain dies in these stories. Sorry if you were looking forward to that, but Calypso plays the role of the bad guy as well as Reyna and- wait, can’t tell you anymore because it’ll spoil the story. The point is, I really like these characters so I’d rather not kill them off. 

Oh! One last thing. I did include the Gods and Goddesses more in this story than my last one, but I still tried to limit the number of times they actually showed up in the story. I didn’t want to portray them too negatively and risk getting struck by lightning or whatever once the story was done. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story! And down below is the cover image I edited, but the art belongs to John Rocco, Viria, and other various artists.

**\- Kitkat Out!**


	2. The Necessary Backstory (Prologue!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, all the backstory you need to know (for now).

_ Once upon a time, there lived a snarky yet brave Prince named Nico di Angelo. His vain and wicked caretaker, the Queen Calypso, feared that someday Nico di Angelo’s angelic appearance would surpass hers. So she forced the Prince to become a servant, hidden behind the walls of the castle so no one could see him or his fair skin.  _

_ Each day, the vain Queen consulted her Oracle of Delphi, known as Rachel Dare…“Oracle, Oracle, with all your wisdom, who is the fairest in my kingdom?”  _

_...and as long as the Oracle answered, “You are the fairest one of all,” Nico di Angelo was safe from the Queen’s cruel jealousy. _

Nico yawned as he closed a book with a black cover and silver embellishments. “This is the worst book I’ve ever read. And I’m only on the second page.”

“It’s not that bad,” Will interjected as he took a sip from his goblet. The two boys sat in two large, velvet chairs that rested on either side of a brick fireplace, with a table in the middle that carried a single lamp and a couple of goblets. The walls were lined with shelves that held books that seemed to glow red from the lamp’s soft light. Leo had provided the fire that gave the room a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Will liked the set up of the room, though Nico said it was too “cliché”. Not that the author actually listened to him. “Besides, that’s what actually happened, remembered?”

“No, I  _ completely _ forgot about us being forced to re-enact a fairytale depicted by Disney,” Nico deadpanned. Will rolled his eyes playfully while he watched Nico drop the book on the table. “We can tell it way better than this book can. What kind of writer calls themself Kitkat?”

“Careful, or she might try and write you out of the story again.”

“I’m the main character. She can’t do that.”

For a second, the fire changed from a warm sunset-orange to a violet lime-green. An ominous voice echoed throughout the room and sent a chill down both of the young demigods’ spines. “Careful, son of Hades. I have great power and can do as I please. The Gods can’t hurt me in this story.” 

“Okay then,” Will said after a moment of silence. “Come on, acting out Disney’s Snow White and the 7 Dwarves movie wasn’t so bad. We got to do it with all of our friends and had loads of fun. Heck, Calypso enjoyed playing the role of the villain. It was fun.”

“First off, most of the cast were acquaintances at best, not necessarily friends. Secondly, I hated it but had absolutely no choice in the matter because of Kitkat and her ‘all-mighty powers’.” 

“Come on, let’s just do our job and tell the reader the backstory, okay?” Will asked. 

“Fine,” Nico sighed before he took a sip from his drink (which was hot chocolate, if anyone was wondering) and leaned back into his chair.

“Hades, my father, is the King of the Underworld, the God of the Dead, also known as one of the Big Three. He’s technically married, but for six months of the year, his wife leaves the Underworld and lives in Olympus. During this time, he gets lonely.

“There have been times where he dates mortal women. But not nearly as often as his brother, Zeus. One of these women was my mother, Maria di Angelo. She gave birth to my older sister, Bianca, and me. Unfortunately, both Maria and Bianca died in tragic accidents. There was another woman, one that Pluto, my dad’s Roman alter ego, dated; Marie Levesque. Together, they had my younger half-sister, Hazel.”

“Alas, she too died,” Will added as he placed his hand against his forehead and leaned back dramatically. Nico chuckled despite himself as Will continued. “Luckily, Nico was able to bring her back. Not that I condone him using his Underworld-ly powers, of course.”

“Yeah, yeah, I can take care of myself, Will,” Nico interjected. Will shot him a glare but Nico ignored it. “As I was saying, Hades got lonely. And one day, he came across a young woman. A little too young, in my opinion, but age is meaningless to the Gods.

“Her name was Calypso, and she was a Titan’s daughter cursed to live forever on the island known as Ogygia. Hades cared for her, though I’m not sure if it was out of love. He gifted her with a castle and took Hazel and me there to keep her company. But once Persephone came back to the Underworld, my father left. Unfortunately, he forgot to take us with him, which left Calypso to care for them as if we were her own children. 

“Despite physically being only a couple years older than me, Calypso had lived for centuries and therefore had both wisdom and experience that made her semi-qualified to take care of us. 

“And then, something changed. It was like Calypso was a completely different person. She became petty and hated the thought of anyone being more beautiful than her. For whatever reason, Calypso thought the reason everyone she fell in love with left her because she wasn’t as pretty as the other women on the island.”

“Because of that, anyone who turned her down or was prettier than her was banished from Ogygia,” Will stated sadly. “She would’ve killed them, but most were children of Gods and Goddesses that Calypso didn’t want to tick off. Hazel was one of said children and was also banished. Soon, there were only a handful of demigods and creatures who lived on the small island, not including the invisible servants that Hades had given Calypso as a farewell present.”

“One day, though, she just snapped,” Nico winced. Calypso could be quite terrifying when she put her mind to it, especially playing the role of the Evil Queen. “And banishment wasn’t enough for her. But I guess, since she was already punished with her curse, Calypso didn’t see what else the Gods could do if she killed one of their children.”

“Or rather, have someone else kill their child,” Will chimed in.

Nico nodded in agreement. He took a swig from his goblet before he finished the prologue. “Now, relax and sit back. Or don’t. I don’t really care. I’m just here cause I have to be.”

“Nico!” Will scolded. “Please excuse my boyfriend, dear reader, and enjoy the story portrayed by me and my friends from Heroes of Olympus..”

“Hey, that’s my line, Solace,” Nico grumbled before he turned to you, the reader. “So now I present to you the tale of Nico di Angelo and the Seven Demigods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to incorporate the book scene from the beginning of the actual Snow White film, but I also like the idea of the main characters introducing their story. The rest of the story will somewhat follow the actual plot, but I really wanted a unique-ish beginning. This chapter was shorter than most of the others will be, but that’s because it’s just a prologue.  
> Kitkat Out!


	3. I'm Wishing (For My Dork)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel delivers a prophecy as well as the wrong answer while Nico and Will are dorks in love.

***** Regular font means spoken dialogue while _italics_ means the line was sung and **bold** is the echo from the wishing well *****

Calypso sighed happily when she spotted Rachel, her part-time handmaiden, and full-time Oracle, making her way up the long, winding stairs towards Calypso. She’d had a special tower built that only her and Rachel had the key to, and at the top was a private room where Calypso kept all her beauty supplies, her precious vanity with a gorgeous mirror with an oak frame. There were a couple of spellbooks and ingredients for potions, but that won’t be relevant for a few more chapters. 

The Queen readjusted the golden circlet that rested on her caramel-colored hair, most of which was restrained in twin braids that reached her mid-back. Her ivory cloak was covered in gold embroidery that resembled vines and leaves. Underneath her cloak was a simple chiffon dress the color of ebony that reached the ground with trumpet sleeves and a low circular neckline. Around her waist was a loosely tied rope-like cord as red as fire that, in certain lighting, seemed to glow. Carefully, Calypso laid the hood on her head and took a glance in her mirror to ensure her face could still be seen before she turned her attention to Rachel. 

“Hello, Oracle of mine, from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee-”

“I’m already here, Calypso. Can we get on with this routine? Some mortals are making a trek to my altar and I need to be there when they arrive,” Rachel replied groggily as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes. It was barely six a.m. and she just wanted to go back to her warm, cozy bed. 

Rachel’s hair hadn’t been brushed yet and stuck out in all directions, covering half of her freckled face. Calypso never felt threatened by Rachel, simply because the Oracle never seemed to care about her appearance. 

Rachel’s blouse dress was moss-green, partially covered by a black apron that was splattered with paint. The long, angel-style sleeves had small holes scattered across them, most of which were caused by the girl’s boredom. Small bracelets braided with various colored threads and small beads covered half of her arm and poked out from under the sleeves whenever Rachel raised her arms. 

Calypso rolled her eyes but bit her tongue. As much as she would’ve liked to tell Rachel to drop the attitude, Calypso needed the redhead in a good mood if she was gonna get what she wanted. “Oracle, Oracle, with all your wisdom, who’s the fairest in my kingdom?” 

Rachel sighed inwardly and opened her mouth to give her usual response ‘you, my queen, are the fairest of them all’ but stopped herself. Until that particular day, she didn’t have to use her Oracle powers to answer Calypso’s usual question. However, Rachel felt the power of the Apollo course through her. 

_Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,_

_The Poet grows much colder,_

_An Angel faces eternal sleep,_

_Only Protector can raise from the deep._

“What does that even mean?” Calypso asked. Rachel shrugged. “Is that the only answer I’m going to get?”

“No, I’ve got something else. Sorry, that prophecy was kind of random,” Rachel apologized. She cleared her throat and was ready to recite the same response she always gave Calypso when her prophetic powers told her that something had changed. And though she feared the result, Rachel was bound by magic to tell Calypso the truth. “Famed is thy beauty, Majesty. But hold, a pale beauty I see. One that cannot be hidden behind stone walls. Alas, he is fairer than thee.”

“Alas him! Reveal his name!” Calypso demanded. Rachel hesitated, so the queen amended her demand. “Or at least tell me what he looks like.” 

Rachel bit her lip and tried to think of a good enough description that would get Calypso off her back without having to say outright who was fairer than the young queen. “His lips are as pale as death, hair as dark as shadows, and he has the name of an angel.”

“Nico di Angelo,” Calypso fumed. Rachel took a step back, and when Calypso had turned her back to sulk dramatically by the window, the redhead ran down the stairs. 

_‘This isn’t going to end well, is it?’_ Rachel thought to herself. She rubbed her hands as a chill ran down her back. Ever since Calypso began to act strangely, a coldness had befallen Ogygia. Despite the constant sunlight and few clouds, it was always chilly, both inside and outside of the castle. 

* * *

Nico groaned as he stood up, stiff and sore all over. His latest chore wasn’t exactly hard but it just took _so_ long to wipe off every last tile in the courtyard, as well as the marble statues. He had to keep getting up to replenish the bucket of soapy water with the help of the well. 

Admittedly, the courtyard was small, as Ogygia wasn’t a large island, to begin with. The castle itself was enchanted, so despite its small size, it was actually much larger on the inside. Which made Nico’s job much harder when it came to cleaning the inside of the palace. 

“This would go a lot quicker if I could use Jules Albert,” Nico muttered to himself. Unfortunately, Calypso had forbidden him from summoning the skeleton chauffeur, supposedly to teach the young teen the value of hard work. Despite the dreadful heat, Nico didn’t want to take the chance that one of the servants was spying on him and would report back to Calypso should he try and summon Jules Albert. 

Even though the dark-haired teen was able to sense whenever the invisible servants were around (while there were no shadows, Nico could sense their magical Life Aura), Nico knew he still had to be cautious. If he didn’t obey Calypso’s rules, then she’d assign even more chores, as Nico had unfortunately found out. Cleaning up the stables filled with pegasus wasn’t exactly how he wanted to spend the rest of his afternoon. 

He had attempted it once and had even used shadows to hide both himself and the zombie, but Calypso’s servants could still sense their presence. No matter what type of magic he used, Nico still found himself getting caught time and time ago. It was easier to submit to Calypso’s will than waste time and energy to try (and fail) to get out of trouble.

Nico trudged over to the old water well that was in the center of the courtyard. He shrugged off his dark brown, hoodless mantle cloak, lined with black fur, as it inhibited his movement. It had been a gift from Will and he was loathed to part with it but knew that it was necessary if he was ever gonna get his chores done. 

Underneath the cloak, Nico had on a plain black shirt with short red sleeves that were torn around the edge. The shirt had originally had longer, puffed sleeves but Nico hated it so he’d ripped them off. His navy blue pants were torn and dirty with patches everywhere. His shoes were simple black rain boots that still had traces of what he hoped was mud from his stable cleaning. 

He placed the bucket full of water onto the edge of the well. He remembered when Hazel had lived with him. She’d always thrown a drachma in the well and made a wish, insistent that the magic of wishing well was real and would grant Hazel her heart’s desire. 

“Wanna know a secret? Promise not to tell?” Hazel would ask. And Nico would roll his eyes fondly and wait for her to continue. “We are standing by a wishing well.”

Nico smiled, but it was bittersweet as he reminisced. While he began to drop the bucket into the well, he hummed softly. He wasn’t much of a singer but found it was a nice way to cope with all the stress it was under. It beat just talking to himself, though not by much. 

_[Nico]: Make a wish into the well,_ _  
_ _But that’s not all you have to do._ _  
_ _You have to complete some crazy quest_ _  
_ _So your wish will soon come true._   
  


Nico leaned over the wishing well and took a quick look around to see if anyone (or the auras of anyone) was around. He hated the thought of anyone thinking he had gone soft or anything like that. Because he hadn’t. 

The song he was singing might make people believe that a certain blond healer made Nico forget to breathe or gave him a strange yet nice feeling that warmed the pale demigod’s heart. As that definitely was not the case, Nico needed to ensure no one could hear him.

As Nico sang, he noticed that his voice echoed through the well. It was somewhat comforting, as it made Nico feel like he wasn’t alone. But it also made him feel like he wasn’t being watched by Calypso’s servants, which brought a sense of security. 

  
_I'm wishing_ **_(I'm wishing)_ **

_For the queen’s cruel reign_

_To end_ **_(to end)_ ** _._

_Today_ **_(today)_ ** _._

_I'm hoping_ **_(I'm hoping)_ **

_Come whatever may_

_My boyfriend_ **_(my boyfriend)_ **

_Will stay_ **_(will stay)._ **

_I'm wishing_ **_(I'm wishing)_ **

_For the dork I love_

_To find me_ **_(to find me)_ ** _._

_[Nico & Will]: Today. _

Nico pulled back as Will’s face appeared across from him in the reflection of the water. Will couldn’t help but laugh at the startled expression on his boyfriend’s face. “Come on, is it that terrible to see me, your highness?”

“Maybe if you didn’t give me a heart attack every time I saw you,” Nico replied as he crossed his arms and glared at Will, though there was no malice in his voice. 

Nico couldn’t help but admire his boyfriend. The young healer wore a simple white shirt with ¾ sleeves underneath his orange, Greek-style tunic with grass-green stitching along the side. His gray pants were tucked into mahogany brown boots that matched the color of the Chlamys cloak he wore. The reddish-brown fabric faded into a pale yellow around the edges of the cloak. 

“You sneak up on me with your shadows all the time. It’s only fair,” Will stated, drawing Nico out of his thoughts. Nico rolled his eyes but said nothing. “So, I’m a dork of a boyfriend?”

Nico’s face flushed at the thought of Will listening to his song. Will walked around the well but Nico took a step back. “Yeah, and a major dork at that.” 

“Aw, don’t be like that, Sunshine.”

“What did I tell you about calling me that?”

“Would you rather I call you Death Breath?”

“....Look, you shouldn’t be here. If Calypso catches us together-”

Will pressed a finger to Nico’s lips, cutting the shorter teen off. “Then she’d banish me like she banished Hazel to isolate you and/or use me against you. I know, I know. I just, well, I had to see you. I missed you.”

Nico sighed slightly before he looked back at Will. “I missed you too, Tesoro.” 

Will smiled and pulled Nico into his arms. He glanced around, more for Nico’s sake than his, and leaned in for a quick kiss. 

Nico melted inside, not that he’d ever tell Will that. But before he could kiss back, he heard something. It was soft, and Nico almost missed it. It was the sound of a branch breaking. He pulled back and caught sight of a pair of eyes in the bushes that lined up the castle wall. 

“Sorry, I have to go” was all Nico had time to say before he faded into the shadows. 

“Nico! Don’t run away!” Will cursed to himself as he dashed across the courtyard and made his way inside the castle, headed towards Nico’s bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I didn’t mention this last time, but I have a few Solangelo one-shots along with some other Heroes of Olympus and even some Magnus Chase stories posted if you’re interested in those. If not, that’s fine. Just thought I’d mentioned it. Also, how was my prophecy? I know it’s not as great as Rick’s but I thought it came out pretty good. Hopefully, you guys agree. And no, I’m not telling you what it means just yet. You will all have to wait.   
> \- Kitkat Out!


	4. One Song (That Calypso Hates)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Singings leads to Calypso finding out about Nico and Will. Meanwhile, an argument breaks out on Mount Olympus.

***** Regular font means spoken dialogue while _italics_ means the line was sung *****

In retrospect, Nico didn’t shadow travel as far as he had wanted to. He ended up in his small, cramped, and drafty bedroom which had a small balcony that oversaw the courtyard. Nico swayed on his feet and would’ve fallen had a pair of strong arms not wrapped around his waist to help keep Nico upright. He briefly wondered why Will was there before he realized the blond must’ve followed him inside. 

“What did I tell you about shadow traveling?” Will asked sternly as he guided Nico to his bed to sit down. Will frowned as he brought out a small canteen and an ambrosia square from his ever-present satchel filled with a bunch of first-aid stuff. “Drink some nectar and take a bite of this.” 

“Thanks,” Nico muttered before he did as he was told, for once in his life. Will sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose irritably. Nico looked around before he grabbed Will’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Or at least, he _hoped_ it was reassuring. “I saw eyes in the bushes and I panicked.”

Will smiled softly and squeezed Nico’s hand back. “I know and I checked. It was a squirrel.” 

Will burst out in laughter as Nico’s face turned red with embarrassment. Nico groaned and tried to tug his hand away, but Will just pulled him into a hug. “Aw, don’t be embarrassed, Sunshine. You’re just too paranoid for your own good.”

Nico muttered something about ‘annoying dorks’ and ‘dumb squirrels’, and failed to notice the sneaky grin on his boyfriend’s face. Will took a look around the bedroom to see if there was any sign of an invisible servant. There was Nico’s bed, two portraits, one of Nico and Bianca and the other of Nico and Hazel, as well as a small wooden chest that Will knew held all the gifts the blond had ever given the son of Hades. 

But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Will couldn’t detect auras like Nico, but even so, he wasn’t able to detect anything out of the ordinary, so Will assumed he and Nico were alone. 

_[Will]: Now that I've found you_

_Hear what I have to say_

Nico rolled his eyes, as Will serenaded him. Since the blond was a son of Apollo, the god of music among other things, Will was a talented singer. Not that Nico would ever tell him that, or that he liked the sound of Will’s voice. 

_One song_

_I have but one song_

_One song_

_Only for you_

_One heart_

_Tenderly beating_

_Ever entreating_

_Constant and true._

“Could you get any dorkier?” Nico asked softly, his head resting comfortingly on Will’s shoulders. Will chuckled and pressed a light kiss on Nico’s forehead. 

“Just because I’m singing our love song doesn’t make me a dork. It makes me a hopeless romantic,” Will stated. Nico rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. “You know you love it.”

“That I do,” Nico replied before he began to sing, though much quieter than Will had sung. 

_[Nico]: One love_

_That has possessed me_

_One love_

_Thrilling me through._

Will had been right when he said he was singing their love song. Will and Nico had heard the song on their first date at a masquerade party and Will had spun the shorter demigod around before he kissed Nico while they listened. 

Unfortunately, that was one of the last parties Calypso had thrown before most of the island’s inhabitants were banished, and what few remained were too terrified to go near Calypso’s castle. 

But that only made the memory even more precious to both Will and Nico. 

_[Both]: One song_

_My heart keeps singing_

_Of one love_

_Only for you._

Though neither of them would ever admit it, both Nico and Will were adorable dorks. Not that anyone else knew. If anyone found out, and word got out to Calypso, they’d be doomed.

“Calypso will-”

“What Calypso doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Will shushed Nico. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Nico smiled and kissed Will, and as he did so, he thought to himself that things were going pretty well for him. There was no point in being paranoid; after all, what’s the worst that could happen? 

* * *

Little did they know that underneath the balcony, an invisible servant hovered and eavesdropped on the two demigods. And said invisible servant went and ratted the couple out to Calypso because that’s what always happened to characters who said/thought _‘what’s the worst that could happen?’_

After the author had successfully breached the fourth wall (probably not for the last time), she got back to how Calypso reacted to the news that her horrible charge had a boyfriend.

Calypso didn’t take it very well.

She destroyed a countless number of vases and furiously muttered to herself. “If I can’t have true love, no one can!”

Poor Rachel was forced to just sit and watch as Calypso threw vase after vase at a target, with a basket underneath to collect the shards of pottery. Most of the vases were plain, ugly, even, and had been created for the sole purpose of helping Calypso let her anger out. 

A mouse scurried by and narrowly managed to avoid a misshapen vase that looked like a sculpture a toddler made with Play-Doh. Though the tower was kept impeccably neat, along with the rest of the castle, more and more mice had started to show up. Rachel had learned to just pretend it wasn’t there, as Calypso had warned her not to scream in surprise and/or fear as it tended to divert the queen’s anger from Nico to Rachel. 

_‘I wish I could warn Prince Nico,’_ Rachel thought sadly as yet another vase was thrown. After she had discovered how insane Calypso seemed to be, she had wanted to warn Nico to run away or find some helpful demigods to aid him. She could see faint hints of the future, signs that the prophecy she had told Calypso would come to be, and that prophecy would bring harm to Nico, yet she couldn’t ever seem to open her mouth to talk about it. 

Whenever Rachel tried to say something or think about disobeying Calypso, her mind would get fuzzy and she’d forget about her rebellious thoughts. Then a faint voice, one Rachel nearly but not quite recognized, would echo in her head. 

_‘Don’t go against Calypso. Do nothing but be the Oracle you were meant to be. Remain neutral, or I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Hades doles out a harsh punishment when you die. If you don’t obey me, your death will happen a lot sooner than you think.’_

Every time Rachel heard this voice, she had dreams the following night about a mysterious stranger leaving Ogygia in a huff. The man was masked by shadows but his face was pure light, so bright it hurt Rachel’s eyes. But no matter how hard she tried, the Oracle was unable to figure out what the dream meant or who the shadowy figure was, and why he was so angry. 

Rachel sometimes wished she wasn’t an Oracle. It was an awful lot of work and she didn’t even get paid for it. “I should’ve just been an artist.”

“What was that?” Calypso asked, momentarily forgetting her rage. Rachel flushed and shook her head aggressively. 

“I said you’re the smartest woman in the kingdom and will most definitely find a way to become the fairest once more,” Rachel said nervously. Calypso narrowed her eyes for a moment, and Rachel sighed in relief.

“I am,” Calypso smirked. “But for future reference...no one likes a kiss-up, Rachel.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” 

* * *

Meanwhile, up in Mount Olympus, several of the gods and goddesses watched the events that transpired in Ogygia and made their own commentary. However, since they can’t get along for more than a few minutes, arguments quickly escalated into screaming matches.

“I’m telling you, it’s not Calypso’s fault. Living on that island for so long made her lose her mind!” Hermes shouted.

“She broke one of my son’s hearts, and you want to blame it on insanity?!” Hephaestus argued back. Aphrodite rolled her eyes as she did her nails, watching Hermes and Hephaestus argue from her throne. 

“Her heart’s been broken plenty of times too, you know. Leo will live.”

“I didn’t ask for your input, _dear_ ,” Hephaestus muttered the last part as he crossed his arms and sat down. “Besides, aren’t you concerned that she’ll try to kill Nico or Will?”

“She’s smart enough to know better,” Athena interjected. “At the very least, she’ll order someone else to do it. The daughter of Bellona is the only capable demigod Calypso can depend on. And she knows better than to invoke the wrath of Hades or Apollo.”

“I guess you have a point,” Hermes admitted. “And maybe Calypso isn’t crazy. I’m just saying, the girl ain’t acting like herself. Something strange is going on. Don’t you agree, Artemis?”

All eyes turned toward Artemis, the goddess who had yet to say a single word. She inspected one of her silver arrows for a moment before she replied.

“You’re right, for once Hermes. Something strange is going on. Something perhaps. And I have the feeling I know who’s behind it.”

With that statement, she was gone. The other gods looked at one another, visibly confused. Even Athena, with all her wisdom, didn’t seem to have a clue what was going on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it’s funny that Will won’t sing very much in this story yet he probably has one of the best singing voices out of everyone in the cast. Besides Piper, of course. And who else thinks the gods are so bored with their own lives that they watch other people’s misery just for entertainment?   
> \- Kitkat Out!


	5. To Kill Or Not To Kill (Hint: Not!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna fights her conscience between loyalty to the Queen and to the Gods while Nico plays with a bird family Hazel was fond of.

“Take him out to the gardens, a secluded area where no one can see him, and let him pick wildflowers, or do whatever else he’s interested in these days. Just don’t let him raise the dead again. They always mess up my plants,” Calypso stated to her loyal huntsman- er, hunts _ woman-  _ who was also her Captain of the Guard, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. She was dressed in her usual armor with her magical red cloak, and boy was she confused as to why she was tasked with taking the young prince out.

Not that she was about to complain. The queen hadn’t allowed Nico to leave the castle in months. Of course, Reyna wouldn’t dare go against Calypso’s orders just to sneak out Nico when he had a roof over his head and food in his stomach. Though that didn’t mean Reyna couldn’t turn a blind eye whenever a certain blond snuck in or Nico mysteriously vanished without a trace. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And there, my faithful Captain, you shall kill him.”

“But, Your Majesty! The young Prince!” Reyna protested. Sure, she knew Calypso didn’t exactly get along with Nico, but that was no reason to kill the poor demigod. “He’s done nothing wrong-”

“Are you questioning my judgment?” Calypso asked with a solemn expression on her face. There was a deadly glint in her eyes that made Reyna wonder what had happened to the sassy yet kind woman she’d befriended before Hades had shown up on the island.

“Never, My Queen,” Reyna stated with a heavy sigh. “Your wish is my command.”

“That’s what I thought,” Calypso grinned maniacally and Reyna had to bite her tongue before she asked if the caramel-haired woman had gone insane. “Especially since we both know the penalty if you fail. But just in case, I want you to bring me back something to show that you didn’t fail.”

“Which is what, Your Highness?”

“Bring back that fur-lined cloak of his after you kill him. The irony of being killed and having his favorite cloak I’ve never seen him without will make his death, and my victory, even sweeter. Especially since I can finally get rid of the ugly thing. Understood?” Calypso smirked wickedly as she thought about the many ways she wanted to destroy that terrible monstrosity that should never have been designed, let alone made. 

Reyna nodded in affirmation and bowed before she made her way out of the throne room. The second the doors were closed, Reyna collapsed and took deep breaths. 

She’d known Nico for ages. She’d been by the demigod’s side when his sister Bianca had died, and again when Calypso had banished Hazel. It was nothing short of a miracle that Calypso hadn’t thought to banish Will. Reyna shuddered as she tried to imagine how Nico would take it. The pale teen would probably never smile again, and fade away, little by little until nothing remained of the demigod.

_ ‘I can’t kill him. But I can’t fail either. What am I supposed to do?’  _ Reyna thought to herself as she wondered how she could obey Calypso without offending the gods. Because while Reyna was loyal as can be, she didn’t want to risk Hades giving her an unbearable punishment for killing his son. 

“Pluto’s pauldrons. I’m screwed.”

* * *

Nico hummed  _ ‘One Song’  _ under his breath as he examined his list of plants and flowers. Will had talked about needing more supplies, so Nico had written down a list of what to look for when he was told he could leave the palace for the afternoon.

Because of the ‘special’ occasion, Nico had gotten a new set of clothes. A simple black v-neck shirt, which was hidden by a red high-collared vest with black leather straps. He’d also gotten black trousers without any holes or patches along with new red leather shoes. Nico still had his fur-lined cloak, though he had quickly laid it on the ground as a makeshift blanket to put down the plants he had gathered.

Though Nico had no idea why Reyna had offered to let him get out of the castle for a bit, nor why it was special, he knew better than to question it or try to figure out what was going on in the older girl’s mind. 

So, instead, he just studied page five of the book Will had gotten him,  _ ‘Apollo’s Guide to Medicinal Herbs, Plants, and Flowers, Magical or Not’, _ to ensure that the plant he wanted to pick wasn’t poison ivy or something. 

Meanwhile, Reyna stood a few feet away as she scanned the area. Nico and she were alone. And if they weren’t, Reyna had no way of knowing. Only Calypso and Nico seemed to be able to detect the presence of the invisible servants. 

As Nico peered down at his book, Reyna couldn’t help but remember the last time she had escorted him to the garden. He’d been much happier, though that might’ve had something to do with his half-sister, Hazel, being there as well. 

The princess had found a nest built for two bluebirds and their egg. She had been so excited to show Nico, who pretended to care for his sister’s sake. Before Calypso had banished Hazel, the young demigod had asked Reyna to keep an eye on the birds. It was a simple enough favor that Reyna immediately agreed. 

Every day after she was done walking the perimeter of the island, Reyna would stop and check on the bird family. She wanted to bring Aurum and Argentum with her but didn’t want to risk them scaring or possibly attacking the birds. Though trained to obey, dogs were still predators at heart. And Reyna didn’t want to be the one to tell Nico, or Gods forbid Hazel, that her dogs ate the baby bird.

“Reyna! Hazel’s bird family just got bigger,” Nico called out, which drew Reyna out of her thoughts. She made her way over to Nico and leaned down to see the baby bird, which should’ve been in its nest but instead laid on the ground. “What’s the matter? Being sad and depressed is something children of Hades do, not small birds who fall out of their nests.”

“If you touch it, the mother may not accept the baby,” Reyna stated before Nico could cup the bird into his hands. Nico nodded and waited a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face, before he picked up a stray twig and poked at the bird.

“Your mom and dad aren’t that far. They’re right up there, watching you,” Nico whispered softly. The bird looked confused for a moment before it’s feet latched onto the stick. Nico slowly brought the bird up to the nest and watched it jump and land next to its mother, who started to preen the baby’s wings. “Can’t fly yet, but I’m sure he, or she, will learn soon enough.”

Reyna didn’t say anything, just stood up and stepped back. Silently, she drew out her Imperial Gold dagger and looked it over. The Prince kept to himself for the most part, but Reyna was observant. She’d noticed little things over time, the hidden inner turmoil he felt, the raw anguish that was clear in his dark, cold eyes. Reyna saw how gentle he was with Hazel, and noticed the fierce protectiveness he felt for her. 

Despite herself, Reyna had begun to feel that same protectiveness, seeing Nico and Hazel as younger siblings. It almost broke her heart when Hazel was sent away, and the Huntswoman knew Nico’s absence would have a similar effect on her. She’d have to get used to the idea of no one being there to listen to her sorrows, or help pull her from her brooding, as Nico had once done. 

Reyna was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the soft clang of a sword being pulled from its sheath. Inwardly, Reyna cursed as she realized Nico had spotted her pull out the dagger. He had a keen eye and a strange relationship with shadows that allowed him to see the slightest bit of movement. 

Nico leaped back and pointed his Stygian Iron sword at the older demigod. His face was stern but Reyna could see the disappointment, betrayal, even, in his eyes. Nico sounded genuinely hurt when he asked, “What are you doing?!”

“Nothing. May the Gods forgive me, but I can’t do it,” Reyna put her dagger away. She blinked the tears away as she knelt to the ground, avoiding Nico’s eyes. “I knew I couldn’t but she’s mad, jealous of you. She’ll stop at nothing.”

“But who- wait,” Nico scowled as he realized there was only one person who Reyna really took orders from. “Calypso. She put you up to this.”

“Yes, it was the Queen,” Reyna confirmed. “Which is why I brought Arion and Skippy with us. He seems to have taken a liking to you, so hopefully, Arion will get you off the island. If he doesn’t, I’ll let you take Skippy.”

Nico smiled despite the situation he had suddenly found himself in. Hazel had discovered Arion, a son of Poseidon before she and Nico had moved to Ogygia. From time to time, the horse would run swiftly enough to practically walk on water and visit Hazel. The horse was free to come and go, as he was a free spirit, according to Hazel. 

After Hazel had been banished, Arion had come back to Ogygia and refused to leave. No one on the island could speak horse, but by the way the horse hardly left Nico’s side, it was clear to all that Arion was there to keep an eye on the Prince. Currently, the horse was off somewhere along the beach with Scipio, Reyna’s pegasus. 

“But there is one thing I’ll need, proof that I’ve done what Calypso asked,” Reyna stated as she stood up and brushed the grass off her. “Your cloak.”

“My cloak? Really? Didn’t she think that maybe I’d just give it to you and run?” Nico asked. Reyna shrugged. Calypso hadn’t exactly been herself since Hades left, so it didn’t surprise the Captain that she wasn’t acting smart. Nico picked up the plants and tied them up in a makeshift bouquet and shook his cloak before he handed it to Reyna. “Before I leave, I gotta write something real quick. If you see Will-”

“I’ll make sure he gets it along with the plants that you gathered for him. Wouldn’t want to worry your boyfriend,” Reyna replied with a smirk.

“Shut up,” Nico ducked his head, but he couldn’t hide his blush. Or his smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished chapter four. The reason this story took so long for me to publish is that it has taken me forever to write the first few chapters. College is a lot of work, as is finding inspiration. 
> 
> I don’t know if I mentioned this or not, but my friend, Reader4ever1 aka Jade has a Disney movie meets Percy Jackson story as well. It’s called The Little Merman and it is finally complete. It revolves around Percabeth but includes a lot of other ships as well. So if you like this story, go check her story out. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time...  
> \- Kitkat Out!


	6. With A Smile And A Song (Kind Of)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jules Albert is finally introduced in the story and Nico starts talking to animals.

“My dad gave me a present once,” Nico said as he twisted the skull ring on his finger. If he knew how far the closest island was, he would’ve Shadow Traveled, despite the voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Will warning the son of Hades _not_ to travel via shadows. So instead, he had to make do with a horse he’d never ridden before and who might buck him off the second he got the chance. “It was a zombie.”

Reyna stared at him blankly for a second, unsure if she’d heard the young Prince correctly. “What?”

“His name is Jules-Albert. He’s French.”

“A...French zombie?” 

“Yep,” Nico confirmed. “But I sent him on a mission to track down Hazel and protect her. I figured once I reach land, no matter how far away it is, I can summon him and get directions to wherever Hazel is. It’s the best idea I’ve got.”

“Sounds good. If you can, try to send me some sort of signal to let me know you made it there safely,” Reyna instructed as she handed Nico a leather, black drawstring pouch small enough to fit under his vest

Nico nodded in agreement before he peeked into the bag. He sensed it was magical but couldn’t see anything inside the pouch. “What’s this for? It’s empty.”

“It’s enchanted. Waterproof, fireproof, lightning proof, and, well, you get the idea. It can carry up to an infinite amount of objects, I believe. I packed everything I thought you might need.” 

“Ah. Got it.”

Reyna whistled for Scipio, who trotted over to the demigods. Arion reluctantly followed, lagging behind before he went over to sniff Nico. After a few tense seconds, Arion snorted but didn’t pull away as Nico hesitantly placed his hand on the horse’s muzzle. Nico looked to Reyna for a second before he lifted himself up onto Arion’s back. 

Though Nico wasn’t sure if the horse actually liked him or not, the fact that the horse hadn’t tried to kick the dark-haired teen off was a good sign. “Well, it looks like I’m ready.”

“Yeah,” Reyna shifted uncomfortably. She looked up at Nico and frowned. She’d miss him, but knew it was for the best. “May the Gods give your strength, Nico.”

“That’s the first time you’ve ever used my real name,” Nico teased. He glanced out at the ocean, the gentle waves doing nothing to ease his nerves. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”

“Of course,” Reyna smiled with a knowingly look in her eye. “Will is in good hands, Your Highness. You have my word.”

“I wasn’t going to-”

“Yes, you were.”

“...thanks, Reyna.” 

* * *

Of course, the second Nico left the island, it started to rain terribly, strong winds nearly knocking Nico off of Arion several times. And the horse took him right into the center of the storm. 

As Arion ran, Nico saw blurs of various creatures on the sidelines. Venti, mostly, along with various other monsters, including a cyclops, which made no sense to Nico. It was then that the dark-haired teen wondered if he was really seeing those creatures or if it was just some oddly-shaped clouds that morphed together.

_‘Could be hallucinating,’_ Nico briefly thought to himself, gripping Arion’s mane as tightly as possible. He had no idea how Hazel managed to ride the horse as often as she did without falling off. 

It seemed like riding Arion was a big mistake as Nico felt him grow more and more tired, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread before he drifted off, praying to any god who would listen to keep the demigod from falling into the ocean. 

* * *

Nico groaned as he woke up, sore all over. He opened his eyes to see himself in a small clearing somewhere in a forest, surrounded by birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and even a baby dear. 

“What are you doing out here?” Nico stared at the fawn for a second before he sighed loudly. “I can’t believe I’m talking to animals. Especially a deer. I mean, I don’t wanna accidentally upset you and then face Artemis and her hunters. They’re not exactly...um, my kind of people.” 

The deer tilted his head curiously. It was hard to tell the difference between a female and male fawn but Nico just had a feeling that it was a ‘he’ but the living wasn’t exactly Nico’s forte, so he could’ve been wrong. “Can you... understand me?”

Right as Nico said that, the fawn turned his head and began to lick his back. “Great. Just great. I’ve lost my mind.”

A few seconds passed before a doe slowly approached the clearing. The fawn glanced back and ran to his mother in excitement before he tried to nudge the doe towards the demigod. 

She reluctantly followed but stayed a few feet away. She kept a keen eye on the fawn as he rubbed his head against Nico’s hand, forcing the teen to pet his head. 

A few tweets drew Nico’s attention up towards the trees to see an odd assortment of birds; partridges, owls, hawks, sparrows, and a couple of quails. Not to mention the ravens. A _lot_ of ravens, all of whom seemed to be paying very close attention to Nico. And on one of the lower branches, there was a small bluebird, similar to the one Nico had just seen on Ogygia, except this one was all on its own.

Nico moved towards the branch only for the bird to flap its wings frantically and try to fly to a higher branch. Instead, were it not for Nico’s swiftness and quick thinking, the bird would’ve fallen several feet. “That wasn’t your best idea, was it?”

The bird tweeted indignantly and Nico bit his tongue. The fawn looked at him expectedly as the dark-haired teen wondered how he should comfort the bird. Then he wondered if he’d officially lost it if he was trying to comfort a freaking bird. 

“Look, I’m...sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. But you don’t know what I’ve been through,” Nico shuddered slightly as memories of the storm he’d gotten threatened to resurface. “I mean, what am I supposed to do when things go wrong?”

The bird, that Nico had decided to call Blue because he didn’t have a creative bone in his body, seemed to take this question to heart as he chirped loudly. In his head, Nico could imagine Will harmonizing with the bird, singing something like ‘ _ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh_ ’. 

Nico smiled slightly, glad that Blue seemed to be less frightened than before. He whistled along with the bird, trying to match the same beat as Blue. After a minute or two, he stopped, the grin still on his face.

Blue looked at him with disappointment while the birds in the tree along with the fawn stared at him expectedly. “What? What is it?”

A couple of sparrows chirped together, their high-pitched notes sounding like someone was singing. But that couldn’t be what the animals wanted...right? 

“Hmph. If you’re asking what I think you’re asking, the answer is no. I’m not gonna sing,” Nico huffed despite the encouraging chirps from the birds. Then the music began to play, though Nico couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Though if he had to guess, a nymph or a satyr most likely had decided to play the violin, and maybe a harp, somewhere in the distance yet still close enough for Nico to hear. 

It didn’t matter, though. In a monster-infested forest, there was no way he would draw even more attention to himself than he already did. “It’s bad enough I whistled with you, I’m not gonna sing too- ow!”

Nico groaned as Blue bit his finger. He took one last look around before he glanced back at the stubborn bird.

The fawn bumped his head against Nico’s leg drawing a sigh from the young demigod. “You can’t just get through with a smile and a song, you know? Life isn’t just a bright sunny day. Your cares don’t always fade away. And your heart doesn’t stay young. You can’t just get through with a smile and a song.”

_[Nico]: Though, all the world does seem to waken anew_

_Rejoicing with you_

_As the song is sung_

Despite what he said, Nico couldn’t help but picture Hazel arguing with him, saying that while songs wouldn’t solve problems, they could definitely help. 

_There's no use in grumbling_

_When the raindrops come tumbling_

Rain used to be comforting until Nico discovered how much Will hated it. The child of Apollo loved the sun, just like his father, and having it hidden away tended to bring the blond down. And when Will was down, so was Nico. 

_I have to remember, you're the one_

_Who can fill the world with sunshine_

Will definitely was Nico’s sunshine. Nico was once surrounded by darkness until Will’s light shone through and led him to happiness. It was something Hazel had once said, very cliché, and definitely something Nico would never admit to agreeing with out-loud.

But it was true. 

_When you smile and you sing_

_Everything is in tune and it's spring_

_And life flows along_

_I guess you kind of can get by with a smile and a song._

“There. Are you happy now?” Nico huffed. Blue chirped happily and Nico smiled slightly. He may not have loved singing, but it always had a way of cheering him up. “Good. Now I gotta figure out how to get out of here.”

All of the animals looked at him, and Nico could’ve sworn some of them looked confused. Or maybe that was just how they looked. Other than the bird family on Ogygia, Nico hadn’t spent much time with animals so he wasn’t sure if they meant to portray emotions or not.

“Look, I feel a little better, but not because of the singing!” Nico exclaimed though he wasn’t quite sure why he felt the need to defend himself. 

“Thing is, I need a place to sleep at night. I can’t exactly sleep like all of you. No burrow is big enough for me. And trees aren’t my thing, and even if they were, I don’t wanna risk sleeping on a nymph or something. Which means nests are off the table, even if I could fit,” Nico glanced at the assorted creatures and wondered whether he was just talking to himself at that point. “Don’t suppose any of you know where I can stay?”

An unknown voice, “I’m sure I can find you a place.” 

Nico noticed the shadow that crept up behind him and barely managed to avoid long, white talons that tried to grab his arm. The demigod turned around to see a Maenad dressed in red with coral braided into her hair. She stumbled backward as Nico pushed her away and knocked the creature off-balance. 

The doe, her fawn, and all the other animals backed away as if they were unsure whether to flee or stay with their new human friend. Nico cursed under his breath and drew his sword. 

“Get out of here,” Nico commanded, and with that, the woodland creatures were gone. He turned his attention back to the follower of Dionysus and gripped his sword tightly. Nico was tired beyond belief and in no position to fight. But as usual, he didn’t seem to have a choice. “Now, why don’t you just go and join wherever your friends are, maybe party a little? No one has to get hurt.”

“My lord, Dionysus will be pleased if he hears that I, Babette, succeeded in getting a sacrifice. The horse-man never lets me get any outside of the woods, but you will suffice,” ‘Babette’ stated as she bared her wolf-like teeth and Nico backed away slowly, waiting for an opening to attack her.

“Yeah, well-”

Nico cut himself off when he heard a noise that came from behind Babette. He waited a few seconds to see if it was any of the eccentric nymph’s friends before he realized the sound was coming from underground. 

Jules-Albert popped up unexpectedly and stood in front of Nico, as he pulled out a skeleton sword, startling Babette into falling onto the ground. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn’t think of a way to start this so I decided to borrow a quote or two from Rick. Figured it was a good way to introduce Jules-Albert into the story. Kind of. And the chapters are going to hopefully get longer as the story progresses. The first few chapters are based on only the first 9 minutes or so of the film, hence the shortness.  
> \- Kitkat Out!


	7. Whistle While You Work (More Like Smile)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jules-Albert saves the day and Nico has to order skeletons around.

Nico was grateful to see the zombie, and a bit startled since Nico knew he hadn’t summoned him. Jules-Albert charged towards Babette, and Nico wondered if he should intervene. Gods knew he was tired, and he honestly didn’t feel like dealing with a Maenad. They were wild, and vicious, from what Nico had heard. And after the wild ride he’d gone on with Arion, Nico didn’t think that he’d really be of help in an attack.

Babette frowned at the unexpected newcomer before she tried to charge at them both. The keyword was ‘ _ tried _ ’. Jules-Albert swung his sword and managed to hit Babette’s head, leaving her temporarily stunned on the ground.

He turned to look at Nico and indicated for him to start running. Nico wasn’t sure what his chauffeur was up to but he did as he was asked. When he looked back, Babette had gotten off of the ground and launched herself at the zombie. 

Nico didn’t stop running until he could no longer hear the nymph’s screaming. He panted as he leaned against a tree, completely spent. The teen sighed in relief, though he felt a twinge of irritation towards Jules-Albert. “Didn’t need saving...but thanks.”

Nico half-expected the zombie to pop up then and there just to correct the son of Hades, but Jules-Albert seemed to still be preoccupied with Babette. 

_ ‘Hold on a second,’ _ Nico thought to himself tiredly.  _ ‘If Jules-Albert is here then Hazel has to be nearby.’ _

Had Nico been less exhausted he might’ve put the pieces together sooner. The only way Jules-Albert would’ve shown up without Nico having summoned him was if the zombie had found what Nico had ordered him to search for. Though with his luck, Nico doubted she one the same island he was on. But she had to be close. All the prince had to do was try and find somewhere to stay for the night so he could figure out his next move.

A sudden burst of wind drew Nico from his thoughts as he shivered, and swore when he remembered he didn’t have his cloak to keep him warm. Nico wasn’t sure whether it was because trees blocked out the sun or what, but he could’ve sworn that the forest was as cold as it was on Ogygia.

Nevertheless, Nico stood up straight and began to walk forward. He wasn’t sure how long he walked for until he finally saw the edge of the forest, but it felt like forever as he pushed his body past his limits. 

Eventually, Nico managed to leave the shadowy woods and he took a look at his new surroundings, which seemed to be some kind of campgrounds. To his right were a bunch of cabins that surrounded a campfire, each cabin unique in its own way, and on his left was a pavilion of some sort. 

Nico spotted a couple of teenagers walking around, most of whom wore orange tunics or dresses with black leggings. Embroidered on the chest was a pegasus as well as the words ‘Camp Half-Blood’. Along with the teenagers were a couple of satyrs and nymphs, some of whom sent Nico confused looks but carried on with their day. 

A young cyclops that was holding hands with a harpy seemed surprised before he waved. Nico glanced around to make sure the cyclops wasn’t waving to someone else before he raised his hand in response. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Nico spotted a centaur that’s lower body looked like a white stallion and his upper body was that of a middle-aged man. The dark-haired teen watched as the centaur made his way over to Nico and kept a hand on the hilt of his sword. Just in case. 

“Hello, there. My name’s Chiron, the activities director here at Camp Half-Blood. Who might you be?” Newly dubbed ‘Chiron’ asked. His voice sounded friendly enough, but Nico could see the suspicion in the centaur’s eyes.

“Nico,” Nico replied. He would’ve left it at that, but something compelled him to continue. “Son of Hades. I’m from Ogygia-”

“Oh, of course” Chiron sighed in relief. “We’ve got plenty of campers from that place. Calypso banish you as well, I assume?”

“Something like that,” Nico muttered. “Um, look, I hadn’t planned on coming here, but my sister’s horse, Arion, left me on the island and Jules-Albert pointed in this direction so I came.”

“Arion and Jules-Albert, you say?” Chiron cut the teen off before he could say anything else. “Ah, I see. Well, Nico, I’ll have one of the other campers give you a tour later, though definitely not Connor or Travis. In the meantime, there’s a cabin you can stay in. The Hades Cabin, actually. It’s not the best looking one- unfortunately, Annabeth hasn’t had time to redo the design and the current resident is hardly ever in it. She won’t mind your presence, I’m sure.”

Chiron beckoned for a nymph, one with green skin and red hair, to come forward. “Juniper, you have any more ambrosia on you? I know you helped the Apollo cabin move medical supplies earlier. ”

“Yes. Here you go!” Juniper beamed as she handed Nico a bar of ambrosia. She waved slightly as Nico before she skipped away. Nico eagerly bit off a piece and was relieved to find he wasn’t as tired as before. 

“Try not to eat too much. I’ll make sure someone gets you for dinner. You must’ve had a long trip, so I’ll make sure no one disturbs you until then. Rest well, Nico,” Chiron advised as he pointed at the cabin Nico was supposed to stay in before walking away, leaving the demigod by himself.

The cabin itself was windowless and made with obsidian stone. The overall design was a mix between an Egyptian temple and a mausoleum. A skull hung over the doorway, which was between two rectangular pillars. The number 13 was carved into a square slightly to the left of the door. Above the pillars was a line up of even more skulls. In the front were a couple of torches lit with what seemed to be Greek fire. Nico made the decision to not judge the cabin since it looked like a lot of effort had gone into the building’s construction.

However, when he opened the door and saw all of the emo/goth decorations that looked like something straight out of a horror film, he judged  _ hard _ . “Whoever designed this was an idiot.”

Nico sighed as he walked in. He slowly drew the pouch Reyna had given him out of his vest and set it on one of the beds before he examined the area. The beds were practically coffins, with a few more torches that lit the otherwise dark cabin. A shrine to Hades had been built with bones and jewels, representing both the Greek and Roman versions of his father, and it was the only thing Nico actually liked about the place. A sheet partitioned part of the cabin, presumably for the resident.

_ ‘I wonder how they decide who stays in what cabin,’  _ Nico thought to himself. As far as he knew, Hazel and he were the only living children of Hades. So perhaps an unclaimed demigod stayed there, or someone who was just passing by, like himself. 

“I gotta do something about this place,” Nico murmured to himself. If he made the place look less like a dungeon, and more like an actual living space, maybe he’d get on the campers’ good side. If Nico could do that, then he might be able to score some supplies and possible directions, or maybe even a map of the local islands. Unfortunately, he needed help.    
  


Nico managed to use his necromancy powers with what little energy he had left to summon a small collection of skeletons to help him. They all stood stiffly, awaiting orders. “Alright, we have some work to do.”

While he would’ve loved to fix everything, Nico knew he couldn’t do any heavy construction stuff without permission, especially since Nico could only use the skeletons for so long before he got too tired. So he chose to just focus on the interior for the time being.

He pointed at separate skeletons whose names he had long since forgotten and assigned them all different ‘chores’. “Group A, you’re in charge of getting non-coffin beds with normal sheets and whatever. Group B, you gotta find some lights or something to cheer this place up. Gods, I can’t believe that  _ me _ of all people just said that.

“Group C, get an actual curtain or something temporary that can give whoever actually lives here some privacy. I don’t care where you guys get the supplies from as long as it’s not too illegal or gets us in trouble with the camp.

“And I’ll do the hard part; stay awake long enough for you lot to get this stuff done,” Nico stated firmly as he leaned against the wall. The skeletons looked at one another before they turned their gaze back onto the son of Hades, almost as if they were disappointed. “I’m kidding. I don’t trust any of you enough to let you do this yourself.”

As the skeletons got to work, Nico started to whistle the same tune from when he was in the forest, only to find the skeletons looking at him in confusion.

“What? Whistling or humming is a great way to pass the time,” Nico spoke as he plucked the ghastly red pillows off of the bed and tossed them into a pile. Then he realized that skeletons don’t breathe, which made it kind of impossible to whistle. Or hum. “You guys can’t really do that, huh? Guess I’ll have to.”

He knew the skeletons wouldn’t care either way, but for whatever reason, he just felt like singing. Nico blamed it on him being weary after all the traveling he and Arion did. 

_ [Nico]: Just whistle while you work _

_ And hopefully, together we can fix up this place  _

_ So hum a kind of tune _

_ It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace _

Nico really wished he was able to add in some windows, but knew he’d probably need non-skeletal help. Like that Annabeth girl Chiron had mentioned. Her name seemed familiar, and he briefly wondered if she was from Ogygia too.

Calypso tended to rant, and during the few times Nico was forced to be in her presence, she’d go on about all the women she had banished from the island for being too pretty or whatever. Perhaps that was where he’d heard the name.

A soft  _ thud _ drew Nico from his thoughts and he turned to see two skeletons from Group B on the ground. It seemed like they’d bumped into one another, which was understandable. The Greek fire didn’t offer much light. Despite Nico’s relationship with darkness, even he couldn’t help but feel claustrophobic. The way the cabin had been built reminded him of a tomb, like the ones inside Egyptian pyramids. And Hades was definitely  _ not _ Egyptian. 

_ And as you change this tomb _

_ We’ll take away the gloom _

_ Add in something you love _

_ And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune _

The only thing that Nico really wanted to keep was the shrine to his father. While it wasn’t the best-looking shrine, it was good enough for Nico. 

However, a couple of skeletons from Group C didn’t seem to share the same opinion. Two of them tried to take it apart. 

“Oh, no, no, no, no! That is staying,” Nico stated firmly as he went and stood in front of them. The skeletons looked at one another before they just shrugged and stepped away from the shrine. “You guys are supposed to be getting a curtain. Or maybe a folding room divider.”

Nico glanced at a small violet and yellow bag that rested behind the sheet and smiled as he remembered that Hazel was fond of the colors purple and gold. He turned to the skeletons and showed them the bag. “Try and find a gold screen with some purple. Okay?”

They nodded and disappeared. Nico sighed and continued his song, whistling in between the lyrics.

_ When hearts are high _

_ The time will fly _

_ So whistle while you work _

Nico wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed, but he felt like it’d been at least a couple of hours. He sent the skeletons home, exhausted both physically and mentally. He wasn’t exactly a fashion expert but even he knew the gaudy colored items the skeletons kept bringing clashed horribly. Lime green, various shades of pink, sky blue, and an ugly shade of brown seemed to be the skeletons’ favorite colors. 

“Uh-uh-uh. Not happening. You guys are from the Underworld; you should know that Hades would hate all of this. Try again.”

Eventually, they had finally seemed to get the hint. Nico examined the now skeleton-free cabin and felt satisfied with the results.

Gone were the mahogany beds, replaced by a few twin-sized beds with ebony headboards and trundles underneath for storage. A white comforter with black sheets covered said bed, a stark contrast to the previous blood red sheets. The few beds (four in total) alternated pillow colors, some with orange and black ones similar to the tunics Nico had seen while others were purple and gold in honor of Hazel. 

If his sister had been there, Nico could’ve pictured her being thrilled with the selection. He sighed bittersweetly as he sat down on the corner of the beds. A golden room divider set aside one of the beds, the one with purple and gold pillows, and it had a geometric pattern with diamonds outlined in a dark shade of purple.

As for the lighting, there was a chandelier with Greek fire along with some small strings of lights that glowed white were strung across the room. A little girly, but Nico figured it was a good temporary fix until windows (and maybe a skylight or two) could be installed. Overall, the place looked good.

“So whistle while you work,” Nico whispered to himself before he flopped onto the bed. He briefly thought about how upset Will would’ve been to know Nico had used his powers for something as simple as redecorating, and he imagined the lecture that would’ve surely followed. The last thing that ran through Nico’s mind was the image of Will worrying over him before the teen passed out from exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Nico has to sing so many solos, albeit short solos. Not to worry though, in the next chapter, there will be more characters singing. If you haven’t read the title of this story and figure out which 7 demigods I’m talking about, then spoiler alert; the Big 7 are about to make their entrance. 
> 
> I didn’t go into much detail about the campgrounds because, well, we’ve all read the description in Rick’s books. If you forgot what everything looks like, wiki is your new best friend. Except for the cabins, which is why I used my friend’s Percy Jackson coloring book to figure out what the Hades cabin looks like.   
> \- Kitkat Out!


	8. Heigh-Ho (Time To Fight, Let's GO!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 7 Demigods are finally introduced and Nico has a dream.

If Nico had been given the time to explore the area properly, he would’ve found an arena where seven demigods routinely trained under the watchful eye of Chiron, who had headed straight there after encountering the son of Hades. By his left side were Tyson and Grover, who were there mostly for moral support. On his right was a knocked-out Jason Grace, who had gotten hit by a brink that had seemingly come out of nowhere.

This ceased to surprise anyone who had ever met Jason. Even his sister, Thalia, had quit worrying about him after the third time she’d seen it happen. Her brother’s string of bad luck was unusual, but everything seemed unusual to a demigod, especially one who was always fighting alongside the Hunters of Artemis. 

Unfortunately, with him unconscious, Piper had to partner up with Leo more than once, which made her rather grumpy during training time. And a grumpy Piper wasn’t exactly someone Leo liked to fight.

Nearby, Frank and Hazel sparred as well, neither saying a word as they swung at one another. Chiron occasionally praised or instructed the duo, but he knew he didn’t have to worry about either of them too much.

Leo on the other hand...he liked to try and use his fire powers. A lot. Which was fine in certain circumstances, but Chiron preferred the group to have at least one magic-free match throughout the day.

“It’s not a fair fight if you use fire, Leo,” Chiron called out. The boy rolled his eyes and smirked as he managed to push Piper off balance.

“Fine, I’ll fight fair.”

“Especially since all you guys ever do is…” Grover trailed off excitedly. Frank and Hazel grinned at one another before they began to sing. 

_[Frank and Hazel]: We fight fight fight fight fight fight fight_

_In our arena the whole day through_

_To fight fight fight fight fight fight fight_

_Is what we like to do._

_[Leo]: It ain't no trick to get fit quick_

_[Piper]: If you fight fight fight with a sword or a wooden stick._

Leo cocked an eyebrow. “It’s called a bo, you know.”

“But bo doesn’t rhyme with quick. Next time, end in with something that goes with bo,” Piper retorted, irritation written on her face as she pushed back, trying to disarm Leo.

Chiron sighed fondly. He couldn’t remember who had started it, but the group of demigods liked to sing as they sparred, and Grover happily encouraged it. While the chorus always stayed the same, they liked to improvise lines, like Leo and Piper had just done.

It was a strange habit, but the centaur saw no harm in it. If nothing else, it seemed to help with their teamwork and comradery. But there was one part of the song that always confused Chiron, and amazed both Tyson and Grover. 

_[Hazel]: In the ring_

_[Frank]: In the ring_

_[All]: Where so many fighters_

_[Echo]: Sing._

Leo smiled mischievously. Unbeknownst to those watching, he or one of his friends would sing the last line quietly, soft enough so only the singer and the infamous voice of Echo could hear. The teens found it fun to baffle their mentor and refused to reveal how they managed to do their “party trick” (as Grover referred to it). Singing seemed to be the only thing that made Leo happy nowadays, and bewildering Chiron made it even better. 

As the group sang and fought one another, Jason opened his eyes slightly, his head pounding. He groaned as he remembered that yet another brick had been thrown his way, and when he heard his friends singing, he realized he’d missed the beginning of their song. Again. 

Jason joined in, though he only managed to sing one line before he fell asleep, yawning in between words. Despite being unconscious and resting so often, the blond found he was always super sleepy. Though that may have had more to do with his numerous, somehow non-life-threatening concussions than actual weariness. 

_[Jason]: We fight fight fight fight fight fight fight…._

_[Frank, Hazel, Piper, and Leo]: From early morn till night_

_We fight fight fight fight fight fight fight_

_Up everything in sight._

_We fight with bows or maybe a sword_

_A thousand times, sometimes more_

_But we don't know what we fightin’ for_

_We fight fight fight a-fight fight._

As the four demigods sang, Tyson paid close attention to his brother and Annabeth, neither of whom had joined in the song yet. The daughter of Athena tended to wait until after she’d won the match before she sang, preferring to fully concentrate on the task at hand.

As for Percy...for reasons that no one could figure out, he hadn’t spoken since Annabeth had gotten her and Percy off of Ogygia and to the island Tyson and Ella had discovered prior to Calypso’s reign of madness.

Percy could still write, knew basic ASL, and was decent at charades, but he refused to tell anyone why he wouldn’t speak. And while the cyclops wasn't the brightest of the bunch, he still wondered if his brother’s silence was voluntary or forced by some form of magic.

Either way, Percy still gave it his all when sparring with Annabeth, but he proved to be no match for the clever teenager. 

She managed to knock her dopey boyfriend down, leaving him flat on his back as Riptide flew from his hand. She pointed her sword at him and waited until Chiron had given her the thumbs up before helped Percy back up.

Annabeth looked around to see Frank and Hazel shaking hands, a sign they’d finished their fight. If it weren’t for the blush and bashful expression on his face, Annabeth wouldn’t have been able to figure out that Hazel had been the winner of their recent duel. 

As for Leo and Piper, they held one another a sword point until Chiron called out that it was a definite tie and chided Leo for trying to burn Piper. Again.

Percy tugged on Annabeth’s arm and pointed up at the position of the sun, his way of saying that it was nearly dinnertime. Annabeth nodded in affirmation before she sang, her way of ending their training sessions. 

_[Annabeth]: Heigh-ho._

“Hallelujah! Thank you, Doc!” Leo exclaimed happily as all eyes stared at Chiron, who nodded approvingly. 

“I don’t know why you insist on calling me that,” Annabeth muttered as she brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. 

“Because you’re smart and doctors are smart. Anyways…” Leo’s eyes lit up as he continued with the song, his friends joining in like always as they started to take their armor off and put away their weapons. 

_[All minus Percy]: Heigh-ho_

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho_

_Heigh-ho_

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho_

_It's Home from fighting we go_

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho_

_Heigh-ho_

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho_

_It's Home from fighting we go_

_Heigh-ho, heigh-ho._

Tyson hummed along as he headed back to the cabins, waving goodbye to Percy. Before the others could walk back, Chiron stopped them, looking directly at Hazel.

“Something arrived early and it was dropped off at the Hades cabin. So all of you get ready for dinner, take Jason to the infirmary, and then head straight towards the Hades cabin. Hazel, don’t go there until everyone else has arrived. Grover, you’re free to just head straight to the pavilion. That’ll be all,” Chiron announced as he trotted away.

Frank transformed into a magnificent stallion and leaned down so Percy and Leo could lift the blond onto the son of Ares’ back. As she watched that happen, Hazel had to admit she was slightly curious as to what Chiron had been talking about. It was weird that he didn’t tell her earlier, but she chose not to think about it and focused on getting Jason to the infirmary, which was routine at that point. 

She always went there with Frank while everyone else cleaned up, though the young teen wasn’t very fond of the place. She’d ended up there more than once because of her seasickness. But the only thing that could help was this special herbal remedy that made Hazel sneeze uncontrollably. So she tried to avoid going near boats, only ever going on them when Chiron insisted they duel in an “aquatic” setting.

Hazel sang softly as Jason’s waist was tied with rope to keep him from slipping, her companions singing alongside her as they began their walk. 

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho,_

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho._

_Heigh-ho hum._

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho._

_It's home from fighting we go._

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho._

_It's home from fighting we go._

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho._

_It's home from fighting we go._

Hazel, Frank, and Jason split up from the rest of their friends, but they could still hear Leo’s voice carrying over the island. Piper may have had the best voice, but Leo was definitely the loudest singer compared to any other camper. 

_[Leo]: Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho._

_Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho._

* * *

_Instead of the dreamless slumber Nico was accustomed to, or the nightmares that sometimes plagued his mind, he found that his dream was different._

_He was in a dimly-lit room he didn’t recognize with a giant kiln in the middle. A large table was off to the side, with various tools and equipment laying on top of it. A desk was in the corner, with what looked like sketches and blueprints for various machinery and inventions. A small bed rested on the opposite wall, right across from the kiln._

_Had Reyna and Will not entered through the door, Nico would have had no idea he was on Ogygia. He thought he knew the castle like the back of his hand, but this mysterious room proved he didn’t know as much as he thought._

_Reyna had a finger on her lips, telling Will to be silent as he tried to ask what was going on. “Shush. I don’t have much time. I need to give you something.”_

_Reyna pulled out the bag of plants Nico had left behind, as well as the letter Nico had written for Will. The blond put the letter in his pocket and slung the bag over his shoulder._

_“Will you tell me what’s going on? Where’s Nico?” Will whispered. Reyna glanced around the room, her eyes gazing at Nico slightly. But the son of Hades knew she couldn’t see him._

_“Calypso wanted me to kill him,” Reyna stated. Upon seeing Will’s concerned face, she rushed to continue. “But I didn’t! I helped him get off the island. And that’s what I want you to do too. My hounds can sniff out Arion’s trail, and Skippy can take you to him.”_

_“But what about you?” A rapid knock on the door drew their attention. Reyna looked around frantically and pointed at the bed. Will cocked an eyebrow in confusion and she groaned before pushing him underneath the small frame._

_Rachel walked through the door and sighed upon seeing Reyna. The redhead tried to smile reassuringly, but it looked more like a grimace._

_“Reyna! I’m so sorry. I tried to talk her out of it,” Rachel frowned in concern as Reyna’s arms were suddenly pinned behind her back. “Unfortunately, Calypso ordered her invisible servants to take you to the dungeon.”_

_“Figured as much,” Reyna muttered. Nico expected her to fight off the servants, but instead, she just allowed herself to be placed in handcuffs. “Thanks anyway, Rachel.”_

_Nico sighed in frustration. He had nothing against Rachel, but the Oracle could have at least tried to help Reyna. As soon as everyone was out of the room, Will left his hiding spot, echoing Nico’s sigh._

_“First things first. Get off the island, find Nico, and then we can figure out how to take down Calypso,” Will mumbled under his breath, so softly Nico could hardly hear him. He pulled out the letter and smiled softly as he read it._

Nico woke up with a start, panting slightly. He groaned as he recalled the dream and cursed under his breath. “Damn it, Reyna.”

He opened his eyes tiredly and rubbed the sleep out of them as he looked up at the ceiling. A poster he hadn’t noticed before had been taped on there and Nico had to squint to read what was written.

“The Big 7” was written in white on a black background, and underneath it were various words written in different colors. _Doc_ was a shade of silver, _Happy_ was orange, _Sneezy_ was a bright purple and had a golden star by it, _Dopey_ was blue, _Grumpy_ was pink, _Bashful_ was red, and _Sleepy_ was a pale yellow. 

_‘Weirdest names I’ve ever seen,’_ Nico thought absently as he sat up, stretching slightly.

* * *

A knock at the door distracted Nico from the poster as he glanced over at the door. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone, but he was hungry and Chiron had said he’d send someone to fetch Nico for dinner. “Come in.”

“Hello, I’m here to- wow,” A green-skinned nymph opened the door slightly, poking her head through. She paused, her eyes widening as she looked around. “Did you do all this?”

“Yeah...it’s not a problem, is it?” Nico asked. Juniper shook her head, a small smile on her face. “Good to hear. Is it time to eat?”

“Not quite, I was told to let you know you’ll be having visitors” Juniper explained. “There’s some demigods Chiron wants you to meet and they’ll show up here any moment.”

“Why didn’t Chiron have them meet me at dinner?” Nico asked. Juniper shrugged her shoulders, uncertainty written on her face. “Well, thanks for the heads up.”

“No problem. And I think the current resident is gonna love these changes,” Juniper added before she slipped out of the cabin. Nico sighed. More company meant he’d have to wait longer to eat. 

Even though he knew people would be arriving any moment, Nico found he was still tired. Dreaming always seemed to drain whatever energy sleep had to offer. He found his eyelids growing heavy. 

“Five more minutes can’t hurt,” Nico yawned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I just couldn’t see the Big 7 mining for jewels and stuff. Hazel perhaps, and maybe Leo, but not any of the others. Since this whole story is already pretty different from the actual Snow White movie, I think it’s okay that I just had them sparring and stuff instead. 
> 
> As for Nico’s dream, we all know that most demigods tend to dream about anything relevant to whatever quest they’re on. I definitely didn’t write it as a dream because I was too lazy to write this part of the story in Reyna and/or Will’s point of view.  
> \- Kitkat Out!


	9. Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (One Line, Really)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Big 7 find someone sleeping in Cabin 13. Fluffy reunion between the children of Hades/Pluto.

“What do you think Chiron had delivered?” Piper asked as she, Leo, Annabeth, and Percy arrived at Cabin 13. It was weird meeting up there; the group hardly ever went to any of the cabins, preferring to hang out by the lake or dining pavilion. 

“Maybe he finally found a good hardware store and shipped the supplies I need for Festus?” Leo suggested. 

“He wouldn’t have called all of us for that, Leo- wait,” Annabeth cut herself off as she observed the cabin. The door was partially open, though not enough for her to peer inside without pushing the door forward. “Look. The door’s open.” 

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Leo deadpanned. He laughed as Percy sniggered silently, but their faces instantly sobered up as Annabeth glared at the two boys. 

“Smart aleck. Hazel never leaves it open, so clearly someone else has been in there.” 

“Maybe it’s a ghost,” Leo said with a grin as he moved his hands close to Piper and wiggled his fingers. “Ooh ee oo!”

“Don’t joke about that,” Piper slapped his hands away from her. “This is the Hades cabin. Ghosts are a real possibility.”

Leo visibly paled before he went to stand behind Percy, shoving the taller boy slightly. “....in that case, let’s make Percy go first.” 

“Quit the theatrics. We’re all going in at the same time,” Annabeth stated firmly, grabbing her dagger. Percy whipped out Riptide while Leo set his fist on fire. Piper had Katoptris but she paused as the group went to push the door open.

“Anyone else notice the lights?” Piper whispered. It was no secret to anyone that Cabin 13 was dark. There weren’t a lot of lights, yet she could see flames across the back wall. “It’s Greek Fire, I think.”

“I guess someone finally fixed up the place,” Leo remarked. Percy nodded his head in agreement. 

“About time,” Annabeth muttered. From an architectural point of view, if it had been an actual pyramid then maybe she could appreciate the tomb design of the place. But both the exterior and interior looked like something a child drew instead of teen campers trying to build a functional cabin.

Annabeth shared a look with Percy before she slowly opened the door all the way. Percy walked in first, and found that the lighting wasn’t the whole thing that had been replaced while the group had been training. He also noticed a dark-haired teenage boy sleeping away on a bed that seemed somewhat familiar though the son of Poseidon was certain he’d never seen the teen before. 

He put away Riptide before he beckoned the others to walk in. They trailed one-by-one into the room, Piper and Leo putting away their weapons when they saw Annabeth do the same thing. 

“No kidding. It’s like they thought the Hades’ kids were vampires or something. Even gave them coffins for beds- whoa, someone’s in there!” Leo exclaimed when his eyes landed on the snoring boy. 

“I thought we already established this?” Annabeth asked sarcastically. Leo rolled his eyes but before he could respond, Piper shushed him. 

“Quiet! Do you want to give us away?” Piper whispered as she stared at the occupied bed. “Be quiet or you’ll wake him up.”

“Wake up who?” Frank asked. He, Jason, and Hazel stood in the doorway, having snuck into the cabin without the others having noticed. Piper and Leo jumped at the surprised intruders, as did Percy. Annabeth didn’t but she did look mildly surprised. 

“Don’t scare us like that.” Piper scolded Frank before she readjusted the bandage wrapped around Jason’s head. The blond smiled and leaned against her for support. Hazel tried to push past Frank, who blocked her vision, though he was too busy staring at Nico to notice her.

“What’s going on? Did you find the delivery?” Hazel jumped up to try and look past the guys.

“Even better. There’s some kid sleeping in here who redecorated your cabin.” Leo announced loudly. Nico grumbled at the noise, but remained asleep. 

“I wonder who he is- ?” Jason was cut off as Hazel finally made her way to the front of the group only to scream.

“Nico!” Hazel yelled as she excitedly jumped onto the bed Nico was sleeping on, wrapping her arms around him. Nico woke up instantly, his eyes wide open and darting everywhere until they finally landed on Hazel.

“Hazel?!” Nico exclaimed as he hugged her back tightly. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Hazel shot back, tears welling up in her eyes. “I thought you were still on Ogygia. How’d you escape?”

“Reyna helped me. But she got sent to the dungeon for it. There’s almost no one left on the island,” Nico stated. He looked up at the other demigods in the room, but his grip on Hazel didn’t loosen. “Who are these guys?”

“Don’t you recognize us, Your Majesty?” A short teen with dark hair and a large tool belt asked with a mocking bow. “We did live on the island of Ogygia- just like you.”

Nico rolled his eyes and waited until Hazel pulled back and sat beside him to answer. “If you lived there, how come you didn’t know neither me nor Hazel could leave the castle grounds?”

“Gods, I’ve missed your snarkiness,” Hazel laughed. Nico smiled fondly at her, just happy to see her. 

“To clarify, this  _ is _ Nico di Angelo, right?” Arguably the tallest of the group with short black hair glanced over at Hazel, who nodded her head in confirmation. “Okay, just checking.”

“No, he’s a different Nico that Hazel’s been missing since she got kicked out of Ogygia and wound up here with the rest of the people Calypso, um, banished,” the teen from before with a belt stuttered slightly over the queen’s name, but Nico thought nothing of it. 

The taller teen’s face turned bright red and he ducked his head slightly. Nico looked up at the poster and noticed the word ‘Bashful’ was written in a shade of red eerily similar to the guy’s face. 

_ ‘Guess that explains who Bashful is,’  _ Nico thought to himself. 

“Enough, Leo. We should introduce ourselves,” The blond with piercing gray eyes announced. “I’m Annabeth.”

“I’m Frank,” The ‘bashful’ boy stated with a shy smile. Then he pointed at the blond with a bandage wrapped around his head. “This is Jason.”

Jason yawned slightly, and Nico determined that was ‘sleepy’. As Annabeth said the names, he connected the names from the poster to the demigods who stood in front of him. Piper, the one with a frown that seemed to be directed at Leo, was ‘grumpy’. Leo was ‘happy’, if the size of his smile was anything to base it on. And he called Annabeth ‘doc’ before he introduced the last demigod.

“This here is Percy. But he doesn’t talk. Like, at all,” Leo nudged Percy, who had a dopey grin on his face. 

Based on said smile Nico determined that Percy was ‘dopey’, which meant Hazel was ‘sneezy’. Nico didn’t think that made any sense, but he wasn’t about to question it. 

“Is it because he can’t, or won’t?” Nico questioned. No one seemed like they wanted to answer, so he chose to drop the subject, though he planned on asking Hazel about it in private. “Doesn’t matter. So is everyone in this place from Ogygia?”

“This is a place for refugees, but Ogygia isn’t the only kingdom that banishes people for no reason,” Annabeth explained. “I have to say, I’m surprised that Calypso exiled you too. I would’ve thought you weren’t a threat.”

“I wasn’t banished,” Nico’s face went dark as he recounted everything that Reyna had told him, as well as everything that had happened since his walk in the gardens to cleaning up the cabin. “This place looked horrible, and I figured if I made the cabin more appealing, I might be able to get supplies or something.”

“You just couldn’t stand staying in this place looking the way it did, could you?” Hazel giggled. Nico scowled at her, but knew she was right. The place was a disgrace to Hades and needed to be redone. 

“Guess we’re going to have to finally do something about Calypso,” Jason sighed at the thought of having to fight people. He knew that odds were he’d end up unconscious, probably by being hit with a brick, and that stuff  _ hurt _ .

“No kidding. For all we know, she could have one of her invisible servants in the room with us right now,” Piper glanced around the room, as did everyone else. 

“She’s not that bad!” Leo huffed. Nico cocked an eyebrow, wondering why anyone would defend the queen, but Annabeth started talking before Nico could question it.

“We can discuss what to do about Calypso with Chiron later,” Annabeth glanced over at the siblings, allowing herself to smile slightly at the siblings, who still clutched each other as if they thought the other was going to disappear. Given their history, that was a strong possibility. “For now, we should go eat dinner.”

“Finally,” Piper grumbled. “I’m starving.”

“You’re always hungry, Beauty Queen,” Leo quipped as he pulled an apple out of his belt. Nico didn’t even question how it had fit as Hazel stood up and grabbed him by the hand.

“You’re going to love the pavilion. It gives you whatever food you want!” Hazel pushed past the other demigods as she pulled her brother outside, followed by the rest. “Apple dumplings, plum pudding, gooseberry pie.”

“You like the weirdest foods,” Leo bit into his apple as they walked, talking with his mouth full. 

“And you’re disgusting,” Piper pretended to gag. “Eat or talk, you can’t do both.”

“Yes I can,” Leo mumbled as he began to walk backwards, right in front of Piper. “I can even do this. Blud-dle-ud-dle-ud-dle ud-dle-um-dum!”

Leo sang while eating, pieces of apple flying out his mouth. A piece wound up on Piper’s face, and Jason had to pull her away before the brunette went off on Leo.

“Why do you always have to start stuff?” Frank grumbled. Leo shrugged, looking completely unapologetic. 

“Are your friends always like this?” Nico asked. Hazel glanced at her group. Jason was in-between Piper and Leo while Annabeth had a silent argument with Percy, with Frank watching the whole thing with a disapproving frown on his face. 

“Unfortunately, yes. But you’ll learn to love them.”

The group made their way to the Dining Pavilion, where they were greeted by Juniper as well as a couple of campers he’d seen earlier. Such as Ella the harpy and her boyfriend, Percy’s half-brother, Tyson. 

They were friendly enough to Nico, though the way Ella spoke in rhymes was a bit unsettling. Not that he would ever say that aloud. 

As he gave some offerings to his father, Nico had to wonder where on earth Chiron had gotten plates and goblets that gave people whatever they wanted to eat and drink. It made Nico curious to see what all the plates would provide, but he was too busy catching up with Hazel to actually experiment.

His sister was always more social than Nico, so it didn’t surprise him that she included her demigod friends into their conversation. He got to know all of them a bit more (even Percy, who was fairly good at charades). 

Juniper even came by, along with a satyr that was introduced to Nico as her boyfriend, Grover. He was fairly quiet and seemed distracted, not saying much the entire night. 

Nico noticed the concerned looks Percy kept shooting at his friend, but the son of Hades wasn’t sure what to make of it. So he chose to ignore it, deciding that the satyr was just feeling a little shy that night.

Oh, but little did he know what was actually going on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldn’t figure out a good way to incorporate the Washing Song aka Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum so unfortunately, most of it (everything but one line, really) had to be cut. I’m truly sorry if this was your favorite song and you were looking forward to it in this story. I have a (somewhat) edited version that I didn’t love, but if anyone actually wants to read it, I might be persuaded to post a one-shot.   
> \- Kitkat Out!


End file.
